OUR COMMUNION AND FEET WASHING

All of our churches practice having communion once a year. I have tried to put together a description of our communion service for you. We practice close communion. By that I mean we invite members of corresponding churches to seat with us and take communion but do not publish a general invitation. The following is a point of contention among some that don’t know or understand the Old Regular Baptist. We believe the word “ought “as used by Jesus when he said in John 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. Means that we should. Therefore, as part of our communion service we practice feet washing as a demonstration of service, love, and humbleness towards our brothers and sisters. The unleavened bread is prepared by the wives of our deacons the evening before the communion. The preparation is open for any one that wants to watch. We sing a few hymns and hold prayer. It is a blessing to watch these sisters prepare the bread and stripe it before it is baked. Our Deacons prepare the fruit of the vine.

We feel that the Lord instituted the Supper at the Passover and since the Passover is once a year then we celebrate the Communion service once a year at our home church. With that said this past year I visited 11 of our sister churches and took communion and feet washing with them. On the day of communion we hold our regular service in the morning and after it is over we break for the deacons to prepare the table. At the beginning of the service we have a brother preach and hold prayer. Our moderator (leader of the flock) then seats the church and invites our corresponding visitors to seat with us. He often reads the scripture of the Lords supper. Then he and the assistant moderator will uncover the table. All ordained authority in attendance is invited to come around the table. The bread is blessed and then broken. The fruit of the vine is then blessed and poured. The deacons then serve. After the supper is ended the Moderator will read or quote from John 13: 4-10. He will lay aside his coat and tie and take a pitcher and pour water in a basin and wash the assistant moderator’s feet. Then the deacons will take basins of water around to the different pews and the members will wash each other’s feet. Brother washes brother and sister washes sister. It is a glorious time in the house hold of God. It has been a blessing for me to tell you about our communion.